Jan 15, 2009 language, volume 85, number 4 2009 doing optimality theory. Section 3 examines possible implications of optimality theory for studies of language processing, discussing work on the computability of optimality theoretic grammars, as well as some conceptual similarities between optimality theory and work in connectionism and dynamical systems. Given the architecture of generative phonology, which distinguishes between underlying lexical forms and surface forms, and given the. The prevailing nonsequential approach to phonology, the optimality theory, ot, is based not on rewrite rules but on constraints. Prince and smolensky 1993 introduced optimality theory ot as a framework. Input is an fsa that accepts mappings from the given input to any output. For a more easier introduction, i recommend optimality theory.
Doing optimality theory brings together examples and practical, detailed advice for undergraduates and graduate students working in linguistics. Optimality theory optimality theory prince and smolensky 1993 ot is a theory of constraint interaction. It arose in part as an alternative to the connectionist theory of harmonic grammar, developed in 1990 by geraldine legendre, yoshiro miyata and paul smolensky. Optimality theory ot is a linguistic model originally proposed by the linguists alan prince and paul smolensky in 1993.
Reviewed by sam hellmuth, university of york doing optimality theory is intended to equip student and more advanced practitioners with key tools and concepts needed to construct an analysis within optimality theory ot. Despite the evolution, this book still serves any newcomer of phonology. In linguistics, optimality theory frequently abbreviated ot. An overview find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. Doing optimality theory wiley online books wiley online library. Optimality theory is a general model of how grammars are structured.
Ot differs from other approaches to phonological analysis, such as autosegmental phonology and linear phonology spe, which typically use. Constraints are the two approaches equivalent or are they fundamentally different. In this paper, they propose that an otbased analysis can successfully explain their findings and make some suggestions about how to develop an analysis to do this. These notes explain the procedures and assumptions behind a valuable technique using in studying adaptation called optimality theory. Otsoft is a windows program meant to facilitate analysis in optimality theory and related frameworks by using algorithms to do tasks that are too large or complex to be done reliably by hand. In class we mainly approached phonology from a rulebased perspective, and were breifly told of ots constraintbased approach in passing. Success depended on generating all of the correct forms using maximally simple rules. Therefore, d cannot be the optimal candidate under any ranking of just these three constraints, though it could be optimal with a larger. Download pdf 369k download meta ris compatible with endnote, reference. Doing optimality theory brings together examples and practic.
Doing optimality theory is an ideal guide through the intricacies of linguistic analysis and research for an audience of both advanced undergraduate and graduate students, and, by example, will lead the way to future developments in the field. Optimality models assess this balance in living things, and optimal foraging theory applies it directly to food acquisition. What are the benefits of a stratal approach to optimality. The winning candidate in otp can be defined recursively. As the theory of representations in syntax has ramified, the theory of operations has dwindled in content, even to triviality and, for some, nonexistence. Optimality theory is usually considered a development of generative grammar, which shares its focus on the investigation of universal principles, linguistic typology and language acquisition. Alignment and optimality theory this paper looks at the linguistic phenomenon of alignment,in which languages show a preference for certain linguistic features to be aligned with other linguistic features. Theory, in which markedness has no substantive status in the grammar, but functions as an external system of annotations on parameter values, evaluating a grammars complexity. This thoughful and novel work is strongly recommended to scholars in learnability theory, as well as to anyone with an interest in optimality theory. Its topic is optimality theory ot, to which mccarthy already devoted a. Constraints are universal but each language may rank them differently. Mccarthy points out that some of the most significant work on ot is available for free on the rutgers optimality archive.
You start by picking some quantity you think of as good. What are the advantages disadvantages of a rulebased method of phonological analysis over competing methods such as optimality theory. Where to begin how to rank constraints working through an analysis in phonology the limits of ranking arguments candidates in ranking arguments harmon. Pdf on jan 1, 1997, diana archangeli and others published optimality theory. Pay particular attention to the critiques of optimality theory. Download pdf optimalitytheory free online new books. Language, volume 85, number 4 2009 doing optimality theory. Although we dont have the scope to examine the underlying theory here it can be shown that pareto optimality will be achieved if all markets are perfectly competitive and in. Section 2 gives an example of syntax within the theory. Apr 11, 2008 doing optimality theory brings together examples and practical, detailed advice for undergraduates and graduate students working in linguistics. Optimality theory confronts these issues directly, designing its basic architecture to deal with them. Candidate d, however is harmonically bounded by a, and by c.
Ot is often called a connectionist theory of language, because it has its roots in neural network research, though the relationship is now largely of. In a 1997 paper, toni borovsky and barbara horvarth make use of optimality theory to develop an analysis of the variable vocalization of l in the australian english of adelaide. In a paper i wrote i showed what advantages the stratal approach has over other proposed modifications to the ot framework for dealing with opacity purely cyclical models or mccarthys optimal paradigms and i also showed that a simple, twostratum model without any cyclicity as opposed to kiparskys threestratum model, which included two cyclical levels suffices to. Linguistic and cognitive explanation in optimality theory. Its a fabulous resource for the student as well as the veteran scholar. Optimality theory also has roots in neural network research. Doing optimality theory brings together examples and practical, detailed advice for undergraduates and graduate students working in.
The publication year of this book is 1999 and the theory is still going through the evolutional process. Your book is focused on oldfashioned rewrite rules. When you are trying to optimize your bang for the buck, focusing on the critical 20% is a timesaver. Mccarthy find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. Given that the basic premises of optimality theory are markedly different from other linguistic theories, this book presents the analytic techniques and new ways of thinking and theorizing that are. The original reference for ot is prince and smolensky 1993. Repns is an fsa that accepts all syntactically wellformed otp representations of inputoutput mappings. If you are looking for doing optimality theory applying theory to data, our library is free for you. We provide copy of doing optimality theory applying theory to data in digital format, so the resources that you find are reliable. Pareto optimality is the result of rational economic behaviour on the part of producers, consumers and owners of factors of production in a perfectly competitive economy.
Section and page numbers refer to my doing optimality theory blackwell, 2008. Variants of optimality theory with connectionistlike weighted constraints continue to be pursued in more recent work pater. Download pdf optimalitytheory free online new books in. It espouses a serialist view of morphology that is rejected by most current phonologists. Living things must strike a balance between the energy used to acquire.
Reviewed by s am h ellmuth, university of york doing optimality theory is intended to equip student and more advanced practitioners with key tools and concepts needed to construct an analysis within optimality theory ot. It is a theory that has been most widely accepted in the realm of phonology, but has implications for all areas of linguistics. Doing optimality theory applying theory to data john j. What are the advantages disadvantages of a rulebased. The ot literature has been very broad in scope over the last 25 years. Doing optimality theory is intended to equip student and more advanced practitioners with key tools and concepts needed to construct an analysis within optimality theory ot.
Optimality theory ot is a wideemployed theoretical framework used in contemporary linguistics. The pareto principle is an observation, not a law of nature. See what activities generate the most results and give them your appropriate attention. The main idea is that grammars impose a set of restrictions on what are valid surface forms. Given the architecture of generative phonology, which distinguishes between underlying lexical forms and. Mccarthy university of massachusetts amherst abstract. A function called gen maps each lexical form into all possible output candidates. These restrictions can be formalized in terms of constraints. Optimality theory ot shifts the focus of linguistic discovery from rules and derivations to constraints and rankings. This article surveys the motivations for ot, its core principles, and the basics of analysis. Roa, which was created by alan prince in 1993, is an electronic depository of work in, on, or about ot. Explains how to do analysis and research using optimality theory ot a branch of phonology that has revolutionized the field since its. The basic formal element of the theory is the constraint. How to construct an analysis doing optimality theory.
In tesar and smolenskys groundbreaking work, grammar learning is tied intimately and inextricably to the core principles of the underlying linguistic. That approach made sense in the spe theory of phonology, where the goal of the analysis was to construct and order a set of languageparticular rules. It also addresses some frequently asked questions about this theory and offers suggestions. Given that the basic premises of optimality theory are markedly different from other linguistic theories, this book presents the analytic techniques and new ways of thinking and theorizing that are required. Request pdf on jan 1, 2010, walcir cardoso and others published doing optimality theory. Optimality theory is a set of mathematical tools for calculating how to optimize things, and thereby also for figuring out if and how things might be optimal. When you are seeking top quality, you need all 100%. Although much of the interest in ot has been associated with its use in phonology the area to which ot was first applied, the theory is also applicable to other.
1128 524 830 860 1030 1256 390 430 181 709 986 740 1477 176 283 893 1264 511 855 697 507 260 2 778 418 892 159 1083 978 181 950 204 1130 555 1077 84 212 923 946 1433 1031 592 346 833 405 728 114